Mount Hood

Review: “Can’t Wake Up”

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

Alejandro Rose-Garcia, also known as Shakey Graves, announced his fifth album with a warning: that fans should prepare to sell their suspenders. While Graves set out to release “Can’t Wake Up” as a departure from his previous albums, the record houses the same down-home feel that can be found in his earlier work, with a touch more gloom and a little less fingerpicking.

I was introduced to Graves’s music through an episode of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. The concert emphasized the sort of music that the artist is famous for — a combination of folk and blues, with a touch of rock n’ roll rolled in — the same kind of music that he’s trying to take a departure from in “Can’t Wake Up.”

In “Can’t Wake Up,” Graves has set up a world of mystery, reminiscence and surreal situations. His lyrics are self-analyzing, dark and dreamy, while the music itself is somewhat psychedelic and layered — these things work together to create an audio representation of the world depicted on the cover of the record.

Though the album’s core still houses the warm vocals and strands of guitar-heavy backing that punctuates his previous four albums, Graves has shifted his sound to being more pop- and rock-heavy. Rather than embracing a low-budget, found-on-the-street sound, “Can’t Wake Up” is noticeably different when it comes to production. Each track has a larger and more robust presence.

“Counting Sheep” is possibly the catchiest song on the record. It was one of the first singles released and provides a dose of shock regarding what the album will be like. The track marries the sound that Graves is pushing away from with the one he’s embracing. Rather than focusing on a solo voice, the song employs the use of Graves’s own different pitch backing vocals to fully immerse listeners in the hazy world that’s being created. I challenge you not to sing it at the top of your lungs.

The album then shifts into the ultimate summer dance anthem; “Kids These Days” is an indie-sounding bop that spends time reminiscing about the feeling of indestructible youth.

Though many of the tracks are powerhouse anthems, “Climb on the Cross,” “Neighbor” and “Mansion Door” show a slower side of the album; while the starting tracks are bellowing, the slower songs work to combat some of the more high-energy pieces and bring both the album and the listener back into the the dreamscape.

Though Graves billed “Can’t Wake Up” as a great departure from his earlier music, the album still feels like Shakey Graves — it still feels like the warm country-folk songs that he’s been playing since his first album. Simply put, “Can’t Wake Up” is a great album. Though die-hard fans of Graves’s older work may be discouraged, this album is worth the listen. It embraces a lot of what’s currently being done in popular music, but the record retains a sense of originality.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo by: shakeygraves.bandcamp.com

A minor problem

Stephanie Blair | Copy Editor

On March 29, Western’s Registrar announced the Faculty Senate’s decision: it was voted that Western Oregon will no longer require students to graduate with a minor.

Western was the last public university to require a minor, and was in the minority of universities in the nation. The adults in my life have always been surprised by this requirement. And for good reason: it’s a ridiculous requirement.

Had it not been required when I started here, I would have avoided taking 16 credits that I didn’t need — a full term’s worth, for many — simply because I kept trying to force myself into a minor that fit. I love my major — it’s what I’ve wanted to pursue for almost my entire life — and so, finding something else that I wanted to put my tuition and time into almost as much was a struggle. I ultimately ended up enrolling for a humanities minor, because it has no real structure and made the most of my random grab bag of upper divisions.

In fact, with no minor required, I could have graduated two or three terms earlier than I am. And so, future graduates will be far better off than I am and get out earlier. Or, at least, they would, if the minimum credit requirement hadn’t remained the same.

It’s true that my minor plan was a mess and I would have benefitted from not being required to complete one, but it’s also true that I needed every credit I took along the way to graduate. With all of my wandering through the course catalog, I’m graduating after attending for four years — 12 terms — and taking 187 credits. That number is, as I’ve been informed by past graduates, current classmates and professors, extremely low for a Western student.

All of this to say: dropping the minor requirement is a start, but Western’s graduation requirements need an overhaul. If Western wants what’s best for it’s students, rather than what will make them the most money, they need to stop telling students that it’s “perfectly normal” to take five years to graduate and start examining why students are getting trapped for an extra year.

Contact the author at sblair13@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Wolves end Nighthawks playoff hopes with split

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

After locking the second seed of the GNAC tournament, the playoffs are all but an if for the Wolves baseball team. Another game result in the conference would no longer effect Western’s chances. One team, however, in the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks were vying to fill the final playoff spot, and looked to get past the Wolves for it on May 3 and 4. Western said otherwise, and split the final four games of the season to stall their opponents chances: 9-5, 8-10, 7-14, 8-6. Northwest Nazarene were mathematically eliminated once Concordia won their final two games.

The Wolves got out right from the bat in game one with a six-hit second inning. In the third inning, junior catcher Jared McDonald added to the offense by batting in senior outfielder Jacob Marinez for an 8-0 lead. Western’s offense was active throughout and totaled up 15 hits on the game, and were left on base 14 times. McDonald accumulated four RBI’s in five at-bats.

The same could not be said in the rematch as 11 Wolf players struck out. Five pitchers also struggled especially in the third inning, where the Nighthawks put up an 8-0 thrashing.

Western rebounded in the early part of the third go-round, going up five to nothing by the third inning. Back-to-back homers from infielders Nyles Nygaard, senior, and Connor McCord, sophomore, were the catalyst in the start. Nazarene’s batters, however, produced a 13-1 run. In all, seven Nighthawks had at least one RBI.

The conclusion of the series ended in Western’s favor and with a familiar face; Nygaard and McDonald helped open the first three innings by going up 4-2, but it was first-year designated hitter Spencer Bennion who got the game winning nod after singling in McDonald in the eighth. For Bennion, this comes off after having hit three walk-offs in less than a month.

With all seeds set, the Wolves get Central Washington in the first round of the double elimination 2018 GNAC championships. First pitch is at 11:30 a.m. on May 9. GNAC playoffs will be hosted by Central in Ellensburg, Washington.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: wouwolves.com

ASWOU elections come to a close

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

After a nearly-two-week campaign quest to meet the mandated 10 percent student voting quota, the 2018-2019 Associated Students of Western Oregon University leaders were announced on May 4.

Evelyn Guzman, who currently serves as ASWOU Vice President, was elected to the position of President for 2018-2019, while Erik Morgan Jr. was elected to fill Guzman’s seat as Vice President. Current Director of State and Federal Affairs Nathan Soltz was elected to serve as ASWOU Senate President, and Logan Doerfler was re-elected as Judicial Administrator. Both Jamie Norr and Rowan Hammer were elected Senators — this will be Norr’s second year as part of the branch. At the time of publication, there are pending write-ins for Senate, Judicial Board and Incidental Fee Committee members.

There were a total of 511 votes cast, with 10.9 percent of Western’s student body being represented.

The new pack of ASWOU leaders have proposed widespread goals, including: reworking the IFC process, encouraging further student involvement, promoting diversity and inclusion on campus and creating an open communication between students and Western’s administration.  

Two of Soltz’s goals involve changing the ASWOU governing documents and overhauling the IFC: “Our current Governing Documents are vague,” he said. “I have served, and continue to serve, as the Rules Committee Chair and Parliamentarian for several organizations; I know well what bylaws and governing documents should look like and our current ones check very few of those boxes.”

When it comes to the IFC, Soltz plans to mend how the committee operates; “As things are now, the IFC creates its own bylaws and in those bylaws, it dictates to the Senate what the Senate can and cannot do and makes it so that only the IFC can remove one of its members; these are just two of the most egregious parts of the IFC process, in addition to the IFC being mentioned only in passing by our governing documents without it ever being clearly established.”

Senate member Norr stated in her candidacy mission statement that she wants to focus on making Western accepting and receptive to student needs: “I believe that our student government should be an open space where everyone can voice their opinions and have their ideas heard … I hope to assist in creating a safe and accepting school by listening to fellow students, advocating for changes, speaking out against discrimination or notions that may harm students, and working towards a better community.”

For more information regarding ASWOU, visit wou.edu/aswou.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Breakfast & Burgers brings classic diner experience to Independence

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

While the Monmouth area offers restaurants serving a number of different dishes and kinds of foods, one thing it lacked was a simple, classic diner that doesn’t feel like fast-food. Recently, that has changed. Sitting on 286 Main St. in Independence, is a new petite eatery: Breakfast & Burgers.

With old electric guitars hung on the walls, vintage portraits of rock ‘n’ roll greats posted around the restaurant and cozy booths to lounge in and chat with friends, the only thing that kept this from being the perfect ‘50s style diner was the lack of any music to hum along to.

I started my meal with an appetizer of hot wings. Not too long after ordering, a plate of hot, crispy wings were delivered. They were cooked perfectly and it was hard to resist getting entirely filled up on those before my actual meal came.

As for the entrees, I ordered the avocado burger with hand-cut fries and a blackberry milkshake. My boyfriend, trying to decide between getting breakfast or lunch, decided to order the bacon and egg burger with regular fries.

Fairly quickly, two heaping plates were brought over to our table. As for the burgers, the patty itself wasn’t anything too special; we weren’t asked how we’d like our burgers done and they seemed like they were just plain burgers. However, they didn’t hold back on the toppings which definitely added a lot. All of the produce on the avocado burger seemed fresh which made every bite enjoyable. On the bacon and egg burger, the bacon was cooked just right and the egg made for a messy, yet delicious, meal.

Personally, I enjoyed the hand-cut fries more than the regular. They were thick, seasoned well and tasted different than the fries I was used to. My only complaint is that they probably could’ve been cooked a little bit longer to make them slightly more crispy.

The milkshake was the perfect addition to this meal. Sipping on that while enjoying every bite of my food helped complete that flawless diner meal — full of classic favorites, yet distinct from any basic diner I had been to before.

My experience at Breakfast & Burgers was a satisfying one; the service was friendly and fast, the food was enjoyable and the location was full of throwback fun. For anyone in the Monmouth area missing the feel of a simple diner, head to Independence for a dining experience that won’t disappoint.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photo by: Caity Healy

 

Campus pianists take the stage

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

The sound of music filled Smith Hall as music students and professors alike played through piano performances. On May 2, “An Elegant Evening of Piano Music” was held as part of the 2017-2018 Smith Concert Series.

The two-hour event consisted of pianists playing the compositions of Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Debussy, among others. Professors Diane Baxter and Jackie Morelli opened the evening by performing “Celebration” by Rollin. The duo played two other songs throughout the night; “Fantasy Op. 5 ‘Larmes’” by Rachmaninoff was also played in the first half of the night, while “Jubilation” by Vandall opened the show after intermission.

Junior music major Levi Polasek played two songs in the latter half of the evening. The first performed was a short, lively piece by Kapustin, titled “Prelude Op. 53 No. 17” and the second was “Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2” by Chopin.

“The great part about performing is audience reaction, which honors both the performer and the composer,” said Polasek. “My favorites are the beautiful and timeless piano compositions from Liszt, Beethoven, Prokofiev and Chopin.”

Senior Bachelor of Music major Jessica McCutchen enjoys performances like these because of the moment after she reaches the end of a song; “There’s this moment of silence afterwards before people clap, and it’s when you exhale all the air you’ve been building up the entire time you’ve been playing — it’s the most relaxing moment.”

Also included in the setlist were performances by Leo McLean, a sophomore from Sprague High School in Salem, Oregon and Li Jing, a visiting scholar from Guangxi Arts University in China. McLean performed Chopin’s “G minor Ballade Op. 23” while Jing played Liszt’s “Harmonies du Soir.”

The evening of piano music ended with the only composition of the night, “Antumbra,” which was composed and played by McCutchen.

“(Antumbra) came from a place of transition in my life … I went through this huge writing block and I couldn’t write any music for two months, anything substantial,” said McCutchen. “So I went back to my old approach of writing music, which is just sitting down at the piano and playing until I figure out what I like … it’s not an effective use of time, but it really changed how I write music now. It got me back on track.”

“Antumbra” will be making an appearance at McCutchen’s senior recital on June 1.

Other student performers for the night included seniors Xia Yun and Xudong Yang, first year masters students Julia Harrington and Yuzhou Huang and second year masters student Lingyu Zhu.

The next performances hosted by the music program include the joint junior recital of Cole Johnston, Jacob Marsh and Keagan Wall on May 9, and the junior recital of Adam Hyland on May 17. Both events are at 7:30 p.m.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu.

Photo by: Zoë Strickland

Favorite finds from The Western Journal

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Stephanie Blair

Electric blue suede pencil skirt, $8 from Goodwill

“I love this for the same reason as all of my vintage clothes – if it lasted this long, it’ll last forever and no one else has the same thing. I love mixing older fashion pieces with new basics.”

Zoe Strickland

Plum colored heeled oxfords, $7 from Goodwill

“They are super comfortable, it’s a unique color and I they still had the original tag on them — what’s not to love? Though I don’t wear them often, I’m confident that these shoes will stick around in my closet.”

Elissa Sorenson

GAP Leather Jacket, $9.99 from Goodwill

“It’s genuine leather, has a nice hood, and an inside pocket! It’s really nice for layering and works really well in the PNW weather. Since buying it’s become a staple in my wardrobe.”

Darien Campo

Cowboy Boots, $7 from Goodwill

“Boots like these usually go for triple digits. Luckily some Goodwill employee thought they belonged in the “cheap halloween props” section. Their folly is my fashion.”

Photos by: Paul F. Davis

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